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Clinton rekindles character questions

It's been a bumpy few days for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign bandwagon. She received a one-two punch of bad press, and worst of all, she can't blame Donald Trump for any of it.

No, this was a totally self-inflicted political hit, which just reinforced the doubts about her fitness to be commander in chief.

It's all about what she said -- and didn't say -- that's put her spin doctors to the test, in an effort to deflect or downplay her gaffes of commission and omission.

It all started on Friday, when she was diagnosed with pneumonia, more precisely walking pneumonia, a less serious strain, though it's still treated with antibiotics.

Clinton and her insiders obviously decided to keep this condition under wraps, even though she had experienced coughing fits on the campaign trail in the days leading up to this diagnosis.

Not only did Clinton hide her illness, she appeared to go out of her way later that day to show her vitality at a fundraiser by calling half of Trump's supporters a "basket of deplorables," labeling them racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic.

But after receiving a slew of unexpected negative feedback, Clinton expressed regret for her statement, making it seem like an off-the-cuff comment made in the heat of the moment.

Only it wasn't. According to published reports, she's made similar comments recently, including on Israeli TV -- without the negative repercussions.

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And then came the 9/11 ceremonies Sunday morning in New York at Ground Zero.

Clinton made a calculated decision, in character with her obsession for secrecy. She decided to keep her illness from the press, apparently confident she could mask her condition and get through the ceremony.

Well, we know what happened. That stealth strategy stumbled and almost fell. The video of her being supported as she almost tripped into the Secret Service van forced her to express a rare moment of candor with the public.

She tried to assure her followers on CNN Monday night that all is well with her and her campaign, while still trying to steer the conversation toward Trump and his lack of disclosure concerning his health and financial records.

Trump, while lambasting Clinton for her "deplorables" statement, has stayed above the health fray. He's previously questioned her physical stamina, and so this episode plays right into his argument.

So now both candidates have pledged to release comprehensive health details, which should answer some concerns on both sides.

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